Hub-odometer.



C. H. VERDER.

HUB QDOMETER. APPLIUATION HLED Mmmm. 1913;"

17,981,561. Pana Deo.l 16,1913.

v Inventor:

@M 'Ma ima (ifi

CURTIS HUSSE'S. VERDER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

HUB-ODOMETER.

Specification ef Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16,1913.

apprenne nea maren ai, isis. serial ne. 755,843.

To alli/17mm t may concern.' ,l

Be it known that I, C'Unris Hnssnf VERDER, a. citizen ofthe UnitedStates, and a resident of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Hub-Odometers, of whichthe following' is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying draw- .'ing, which forms a part hereof.

This invention relates to hub odometers and more particularly to thedriving` con nections between a device of this character and the axle ofthe wheel on which the odometer is carried.

In the type ol odometer with which this inventionis used, the operatingparts of the odometer, which is carried on and revolves with the wheelof the vehicle, are driven from the nonrevoluble axle on which the wheelis carried. In previous @instructions the driving connections betweenthe axle and the operating parts of the odometer have not been entirelysatisfactory by reason of the relative lateral and longitudinal movementof the axle and the odometer casing for which no suitablecompeusal'ing;-

. arrangement has been provided.

It is an object ofthis invention to improve generally the constructionet the driving connection between the axle and the odometer wherebycompensation for relative movement between the axle and the odometer dueto loose bearings and kindred causes shall be made automatically and the.operation of the odometer insured under the most adverse conditions ofuse.

A `further object is to provide a suitable Wall between the operatingparts oi' the odometer and ythe bearings whereby the :t'oiiner areprotected from foreign particles, grease, etc. which are always to befound in the bearings of vehicles,

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawing* in which` Figure 1 is affragmentary view in'vertical sec-tion of an odometer of standard type showing itsconnectionto the `vehicle wheel and the improved.v drivin-g connectionbetween it ,and-the axle. Figsz is 1 -sectionalview taken' -on the'Qlaneindicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l and looking in the direc-A tion ofthe arrows. Figj is a fragmentary view inplan looking in thedirection-ef :the

.arrows i-B in Fie. l showingindetail.

the --ineans `for engaging positively'the improved driving connectionwith the axle.

llor a clear understanding oi' this in ven* tion it is desirable torefer here to the axle a, lheb Zz, adapter c, cap Z and odometer al',all of these parts being of any usual form. As will understood, the'axlea of the ve hicle to which the odometer' is applied is .usuallynonrevolnble and carries ,thereon by suitable bearings -(omitted herefor the sake of clearness) the hub of the wheel. In some constructionsthe odometer cap or casing al is' secured directly to this hub but moremodern practice approves the use of an adapter c by which lc asingsoi,standard dimensions may be .applied to ,hubs vof vary- .ing diameters.For the sake of completeness a suitable arrangement is hereinillustrated by which Vthe adapter may be sealed to the hub o set screw ocarried by the adapter and engaging the hub. The Withdrawal oi. the setscrew c and removal of the odometer by unauthorized persons may beguarded against by 'the use of a seal e2 passing through the body of thescrew and :engagingl a part of the' adapter.

irom the foregoing brief .description it will new be more readily4appreciated that the operating parts of the odometer d are to be drivenby relative movement thereof with .respect to the-axle a. Accordingly,it is necessary to provide an iii-termedia'te.driv-A ine connection-ltween these parts. It is with the intermediate driving connection thatthis invention is 1primarily concerned. This connection includes a platee carrying pins or other suitable projections c in direct engagementwith the axle a. In the present embodiment the plate `e isjllustrated ascarrying two pins e which are disposed in va transverse slot a out inA`the end of the axle a. It will be understood, however, that otherarrangements forA securingthe engagement of the plate with the axle amay be employed. The r late e has hingedly connected thereto 4linltRs` fwhich may be struck up from sheet` metal, in the interest of cheapnessof manufacture. For instance, as illustrated herein, these links f have'formed attheir inner ends and adjacent their side edges, lugs f whichrest in corresponding recesses e2 formed in suitable tears :e ,carriedby the plate e: The con Aabove outlined substzam ill@ tial and simplehinge connection between the links f and the plate c.

The outer ends of the links f are preferably flanged, as at f2, and haveformed therethrough slots f to receive loosely the ends of an arm g.rfhis last named arm may also be struck 'up from sheet metal andstamped/to any desired form. Secured to the outer face of the arm g isthe driving gear h for the odometer which is positioned substantiallycoaxial with respect to the odometer casing and held -fixedly on the armg by means of suitable pins or rivets 7L. In `practice it has been founddesirable toprovide the driving gear or pinion li with a hub section h2which may support an annular metal plate z' of substantially the samediameter as the threaded portion of the odometer cap or casing (l. Theplate z' is adapt-- ed to rest on the annular interior shoulder o of'the adapter c and to be held firmly thereon by theinner end -wall ofthe odometer cap or casing Zi which in previousconstructions.- seatsdirectly on the annular shoulder 03. The result of this arrangementis tosecure the disk i in the position indiated so as torotate with theodometer cap or casing a' and to constitute in effecta wall between theinterior of the adapter o and the operating parts cl" of the odometercap or casing. The hub ft2 of the gear'h rests loosely within the diskz' so that freerelative rotation between the two is permitted, the gearbeing held against rotation as before pointed out, by the arm g.However, it is desirable that this fit should be asl lsnug as isconsistent with this free relative movement, in order that thefunctionof the disk as a wall may be retained and the passage of foreignparticles into the odometer casing prevented: f

It -is to be understood from the foregoing description, and it appearsclearly from Fig. l, that the metal plate must be positioned on the hubof the gear It beforethe latter is secured to its supporting arm g bythe rivets 7L. The gear h, when in operative position, is in mesh with asuitable' gear d2 connected operatively through suitable shafting Z3 tothe operating parts of V the odometer d. It has been deemed unnecessaryto illustrate in detail herein these connections since such in the art.

'It may be best in some constructions to parts are Well known engage theplate e to the axle a so that relative movement between the gear and theplate will be permitted,' the completedisengagement of the plate andaxle being pre driving connection will now be apparent but a briefoutline of its arrangement with respect to the other parts may serve toemphasize sonieof the advantages realized by its employment. lIn use,the adapter 0 is screwed on to the hub rThe pins e', under the action ofthe spring are forced into the transverse slot a in the end of the axlea, when the'pins are in alincment with the slot. The facility withwhich-the driving connection may be put in place is one of its chiefadvantages, it being unnecessary to exercise any particular c'are inengaging the saine with the axle. The inward movement of the plate z' toits final position, whether the odometer capand adapter are assenr bledbefore or after vthe adapter is screwed onto the hub, of course, is madeagainst the action of the spring j which tends to press the gear ,i andplate 2'. away from the plate e and its connections e with the axle o.When the vehicle is started, the odometer cap or vcasing d and theoperating' gear Z2 of the odometer rotate with the hubof the wheel,

while the driving gear 7i is held noni-evolubly in position throngh itsconnection to the nonrevolubie axle a, by the driving connection moreparticularly described hereinbefore. lf the wheel be loose on itsbearings either longitudinal or lateral movement thereof with respect tothe axle will' ensue. This movement or lost l motion has been foundsufficient in some' instances to disconnect the axle from the drivingconnection or the odometer so that the operation of the latter istemporarily suspended.. 'In the present construction, however, suchmovement will be compensated for by the yielding plate and linkconnection of the axle with: the arm g, as will be understood.Accordingly 'this'relative movement may occur to an-y improbable orexcessive extent without'affecting the operation of the odometer.

The primary function of the plate z', which should be particularlynoted,is to prevent the passage of grease or foreign particlesl from the'bearings or the interior of the adapter c to the interior of theodometer cap or casing (7l. In previous constructions more or lessgrease and dust have found their way througlithe shaft bearing, with theresult that the relatively delicate operating arts of the odometerbecome clogged with oreign particles and heavy grease and in time arerendered inoperative thereby. Such 'trouble is positively eliminated bythe 5 use oi the plate 2'.

I claim as my invention:

l. A driving connection for hub odon1e ters comprising a driving gear, acoupling member secured thereto and a second cou- 10 pling memberadapted to engage the axle,

said coupling members'being elast-ically con the axle and the odometerin the direoision of the axis.

3. driving connection for hub odome- "ters cognprising a, driving gear,an arm secured/ o the driving gear and a plate adapt- 3/0 to engage theaxle, the arm and the late being elastically connected to permit elativemovement between the erle and the `lodometer in 'the direction of 'theaxis.

Il. ln combination with ahub odometer, driving-means there'or, means tosupport the driving lneaiis in' the odometer cap,

yielding Connection between the driving means and the aille te permitrelative move-I ment between the axle and the driving means in thedirection4 of the axis including an arm secured to tliedriving means, aplate in engagement Wit l1tlie'aXie-linlrs hingedly connected vto theplete and engaging loosely vthe erin to connect yieldi-ngly the plateand the arm. 4

5. In gcoi'nbinetion 'with a hub odometer, a driving gear therefor,means to'support tlie gear in tlie odometer cap, a yielding connectionbetween the gear and. the axle including an arm-secured to the gear, aplate having projections on its inner face, a transverse slot. in theend of the axle to receive said projections, means to connectyieldincgly the plate and the arm and a spring isposed therebetween tohold the projections u removably in the slot.

This specification signed and witnessed this 15th day of March A. D.,1913.

CURTIS HUSSEY VEEDER. Signed in the presence of" MARGARET Noonan, J.Mirror? S'lrLLsoN.

